Job 38

Then the Lord ^aanswered Job out of ^bthe whirlwind, and said,

²Who is this that darkeneth counsel

By words ^cwithout knowledge?

^3dGird up now thy loins like a man;

^eFor I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

^4fWhere wast thou when I laid ^gthe foundations of the earth?

Declare, if thou hast understanding.

⁵Who ^hhath laid the measures thereof, ⁱif thou knowest?

Or who hath stretched the line upon it?

⁶Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened?

Or who laid ^kthe corner stone thereof;

⁷When ^lthe morning stars ^ksang together,

And all ^mthe sons of God ^kshouted for joy?

⁸Or who ⁿshut up the sea with doors,

When it ^obrake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

⁹When I ^hmade the cloud the garment thereof,

And ^pthick darkness a swaddling band for it,

¹⁰And brake up for it ^qmy decreed place,

And ^hset bars and doors,

¹¹And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further:

And here shall thy proud waves ^rbe stayed?

^12sHast thou commanded the morning since thy days;

And caused the dayspring to know his place;

¹³That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,

That the wicked might be ^tshaken out of it?

¹⁴It is turned as clay to the seal;

And they stand as a garment.

¹⁵And from the wicked ^utheir light is withholden,

And ^xthe high arm shall be broken.

¹⁶Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?

Or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

¹⁷Have ^ythe gates of death been opened unto thee?

Or hast thou seen the doors of ^zthe shadow of death?

¹⁸Hast thou ^aperceived the breadth of the earth?

Declare if thou knowest it all.

^19bWhere is the way where light dwelleth?

And as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

²⁰That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof,

And that thou shouldest know ^cthe paths to the house thereof?

²¹Knowest thou it, ^dbecause thou wast then born?

Or because the number of thy days is great?

²²Hast thou entered into ^ethe treasures of the snow?

Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

²³Which I have ^freserved ^gagainst the time of trouble,

Against the day of battle and war?

^24bBy what way is the light parted,

Which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

²⁵Who hath divided a ^hwatercourse for the overflowing of waters,

Or a way for ⁱthe lightning of thunder;

²⁶To cause it to rain ^kon the earth, where no man is;

On ^lthe wilderness, wherein there is no man;

²⁷To satisfy the ^mdesolate and waste ground;

And to cause the bud of the ⁿtender herb to spring forth?

^28oHath the rain a father?

Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

²⁹Out of whose womb came the ^pice?

And the ^phoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

³⁰The waters are hid as with a stone,

And the face of the deep is ^qfrozen.

³¹Canst thou bind the ^rsweet influences of ^sPleiades,

Or ^tloose the bands of ^sOrion?

³²Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season?

Or canst thou guide ^uArcturus with his sons?

³³Knowest thou ^wthe ordinances of heaven?

Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

³⁴Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds,

That ^xabundance of waters may cover thee?

³⁵Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go,

And say unto thee, Here we are?

³⁶Who hath put ^ywisdom ^zin the inward parts?

Or who hath given ^yunderstanding to the heart?

³⁷Who can number the clouds in wisdom?

Or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

³⁸When the dust groweth into ^ahardness,

And the ^bclods ^ccleave fast together?

³⁹Wilt thou hunt the prey for the ^dlion?

Or fill the appetite of the ^eyoung lions,

⁴⁰When they ^fcouch in their ^gdens,

And abide in the ^hcovert ^gto lie in wait?

⁴¹Who provideth for the ⁱraven his food?

When his young ones cry unto God,

They wander for lack of meat.

XXXIX.